Nice To Meet You
by dustedoffanoldie
Summary: Matt receives a phone call that changes his life forever. How will Harriet take the news?
1. Chapter 1

**I decided to write a new story, so please REVIEW and let me know what you think of it. I am also working on "Facing It Alone" and "Baby Steps" right now; so keep checking back for more updates.**

**Nice To Meet You: Chapter One**

**Matt yawned as he dragged his feet along the quiet corridors of the studio. It was Friday at 6 a.m., and he'd been working all night, trying to get the show finished in time for the first run-through of the day.**

**"****Why didn't you wake me?" **

**A smile spread across Matt's face. He and Harriet had been back together for the past 6 months. He promised himself that this would be it for them; no more messing around, no more stupid arguments, and no more breaking up. They'd been together for a total of 6 years, but it was more like 5, as they'd spent a little over a year of that broken up. **

**"****You looked so cute lying there asleep on the couch; I didn't have the heart to wake you." He smiled, kneeling down to give her a kiss.**

**Harriet pouted a little. "But I promised to stay awake and keep you company."**

**"****You did."**

**"****How? I've been asleep all night." Harriet pointed out, looking at her watch to emphasise her point.**

**"****Just listening to you make all those cute little sounds while you were asleep kept me going." He grinned.**

**"****Where are you getting all these cheesy lines from? Have you been reading my Cosmo again?"**

**"****What? I told you I don't read them… I just take the quizzes." He told her quietly.**

**Harriet laughed. "I think you actually brought that yearly subscription for yourself and not for me."**

**"****Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. I have learned a lot from reading them, though. I swear they should hand these out to guys in college, it would help them understand women a lot more." He joked, standing up and stretching.**

**"****Did you get everything finished?"**

**Matt pointed to the jam-packed pin board in the corner of his room. "Yep. We have some pretty good stuff for tonight's show as well."**

**"****I know it was my choice to take a year off from the show, but I do miss it." Harriet confessed, walking to Matt's desk, and sitting on his lap. **

**"****Do you regret it?" He asked, snaking his arm around her waist.**

**"No. Some days I wake up and think 'shit, what have I done?' but then I remember why I've done it. I needed some time out, but I'd also love to get the chance to work on another movie… Plus, I think the time apart for us is healthy."**

**"God, Harriet. Whoever is fortunate enough to write a movie for you is going to be one lucky bastard." Matt groaned, as he slowly nibbled Harriet's neck.**

**Harriet turned around quickly. "Do you really think so?" **

**"****Are you kidding me, Harri? I'd love to write a movie for you. You're so versatile, it's unbelievable." **

**"****Would I happen to be naked for a majority of the movies you'd write for me?" She teased.**

**"****Of course." He grinned, pulling her in for another kiss.**

**XxXxX **

**"****It's weird, but she _does_**** look like me. Don't you think?" Danny smiled, as he lifted Rebecca out of her carrycot. **

**"She's a baby, Danny. They all look the same." Matt said, scrunching his nose and looking at the child in Danny's arms.**

**"****I know _most_**** babies look the same, but not Rebecca. You can tell she's going be special."**

**"****She is cute, I'll give you that. Can I have a cuddle?"**

**Danny threw an arm around Matt's shoulder, while he delicately cradled Rebecca in the crook of his remaining arm, lulling her to sleep.**

**"Not with you, you moron, with the baby." Matt laughed quietly, taking Rebecca from Danny.**

**"****Aww, she likes you." Danny said, seeing the small smile appear on Rebecca's face. **

**"****Mmm, no… I definitely think its just gas." Matt said, carefully holding the baby at arm's length with his nose wrinkled before placing her back in Danny's arms.**

**XxXxX**

**"Tom, Sim, I have a sketch idea for you." Matt said, jogging towards them while they were reading through their lines later that afternoon at the side of the stage. "A 70-year-old shoplifter tries to escape being taken into custody, by biting an arresting officer, before realising he'd left his dentures at home." Matt laughed, as he took a seat next to Tom. "So, what did you think?"**

**"****It's funny." Tom told him, grabbing the paper from his hands.**

**"****We just need a small sketch to fill the last couple of minutes at the end. I was thinking you could the elderly man." Matt grinned, looking directly at Tom. "And Sim, you can be the police officer."**

**"****Why does Simon get to be the police officer?" **

**"****Because I look more like one than you do." **

**"****No, you don't."**

**"****Yes, I do. I have a better physique."**

**"****No, you don't"**

**"Yes, I do. Tell him, Matt. Tell him I have a better body."**

**"****I am staying out of this one." Matt laughed, walking away, leaving the two of them to bicker amongst themselves. **

**"****What the hell was that about?" Danny asked, as Matt sat down with him, Harriet and Jordan in front of the stage, to watch Dylan, Sam, and Jeannie rehearse a sketch.**

**Matt leaned over and squeezed Harriet's hand. "You really don't want to know."**

**They sat watching the rehearsals in silence for a while. The ringing of a phone caused them all to jump.**

**"****Sorry about this guys." Danny mouthed, to the cast who were busy running through sketches on stage as he picked up the phone. "Hello… Yeah, he's right here. Oh, okay, I'll send him up right now." Danny said, as he hung up the phone. "That was Suzanne. The police are on the phone for you." He told him seriously.**

**"****What? Did she say what they wanted?" Matt asked slowly, slightly confused. **

**Danny breathed in sharply. "They told Suzanne that it was to do with Rachel White…"**

**Matt got up quickly. "I haven't seen her for ages. I wonder what they want?" He muttered to himself, standing up and making his way to his office, taking the stairs two at a time.**

**"****Hi, this is Matt Albie." Matt said, keeping his voice low. "How can I help you?" Matt listened carefully to the voice on the other end. "Yeah, I knew her… We dated for a while about four years ago… Really? God, that's terrible. I have to ask, what does this have to do with me? I haven't seen or heard from her since we broke up…Okay, I'll be right down." He said, hanging up the phone.**

**"****Is everything okay?" Suzanne asked, causing Matt to jump. **

**"****God, I didn't see you there." He said, turning around to face her. "Apparently an ex-girlfriend of mine has died. I haven't seen her in years, but the police have asked me to come down to the station and bring some I.D along."**

**"****Do you want me to tell anyone?"**

**"****Nah, it's okay; thanks, I'll do it." He told her, as he walked out onto the balcony that overlooked the stage. "Hey guys." He called down to Danny, Jordan, and Harriet. "I have to run down to the police station. I shouldn't be long."**

**"****What do they want?" Danny called up at him. **

**"****Remember Rachel? She died…"**

**"****But what does that have to do with you?" Danny interrupted, sounding shocked.**

**"****They wouldn't say what they needed me for over the phone. I should be back soon."**

**"****Is everything written for the show tonight?"**

**"****Yeah, everything's done. Can you just get people rehearsing their sketches?" He called down, as he searched his coat pocket for his car keys.**

**"****Do you want me to come with you?" Harriet shouted up at him from the stage floor.**

**"****No, I'll be fine, babe. Are you okay to stay here and help people run through their lines?"**

**"****Okay, drive carefully." She said, as she sat back down next to Jordan.**

**"Okay, so who the hell is Rachel White?" Jordan whispered to the two of them, once she was certain that Matt had gone.**

**"****Just some tramp that he dated while we were broken up." Harriet said through clenched teeth. **

**"Harri, come on, that's not fair. The poor woman's just died. Plus, you did dump him for Luke Scott. What was he meant to do? Sit around and watch one of his ex-best friends screw around with the love of his life?" Danny sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose with his index finger.**

**Harriet took the red pen from Danny's hand and began doodling little hearts onto the sheet of paper in her lap. "I wonder why they want to talk to Matthew though. He hasn't seen Rachel in years." Harriet mumbled.**

**"****Who knows? Don't worry, he'll call us as soon as he knows what's going on." Danny assured her. **

**XxXxX**

**Matt made the short drive to the West Hollywood police station in his silver BMW M6 Convertible. Pulling into the parking lot, he leaned his head back onto the headrest and closed his eyes. He was nervous about what the police wanted to talk to him about; like he'd mentioned over the phone, he hadn't seen Rachel in years. He slowly climbed out of the car, nervously checking his pockets for his driving licence and passport before slowly making his way up the stairs that led to the police station. **

**"****Hi, my name's Matthew Albie. Someone called me earlier and asked me to come in." He told the officer at the desk quickly. **

**"****Okay. Take a seat and someone will be with you in a minute." **

**"****Thank you." Matt replied, as he sat down, anxiously drumming his fingers on his legs. **

**He'd barely been there two minutes, when a friendly-looking police officer called him into a side room.**

**"****Good afternoon, Mr. Albie. My name's Chief Superintendent Woodward. I spoke to you earlier, regarding the death of your friend Rachel White." The officer said, rummaging through the notes in front of her. **

**Matt swallowed hard. "What happened to her?" He asked.**

**"****She died from breast cancer."**

**"****I haven't seen Rachel in years. What does this have to do with me?" Matt asked quietly. **

**"****It has a lot to do with you Mr. Albie. When Miss. White died, she clearly stated in her will that she would like Molly to live with you."**

**"****Okay…" Matt interrupted." Wait, who's Molly?" **

**"****Molly is your three year old daughter." She explained, showing him the birth certificate with his name on it. "I take it by the look on your face, you had no idea she even existed." She said softly.**

**"****God, why didn't she tell me?" He asked, but was talking more to himself than the police officer in front of him.**

**"****We can offer you an instant DNA test, if you'd like?" The officer explained. "We're one of the only stations in the United States to offer such an accurate result within an hour."**

**Matt nodded his head. "That would be great. It's not that I don't believe she's mine, it's just… I'm still in shock."**

**"****I understand." The officer smiled sympathetically. **

**Matt watched her stretch the white rubber gloves over her hands and produce a tall cotton swab out of a plastic tube. **

**"****Open wide." She said as she collected DNA samples from the inside of his cheek. "We've already taken Molly's DNA in case you required the test. We'll send these off to the laboratory now."**

**"****Thanks."**

**"****Would you like to see her?" The officer asked, as she gently placed the swab back in the plastic tube, and sealed it carefully.**

**"****I, uh, I don't know if I should." Matt sputtered. **

**"****It will only be through the ****one-way observation mirror." She assured him. "She won't be able to see you. To her, it looks like an ordinary mirror."**

**"****Oh, okay." He said, standing up and following Chief Superintendent Woodward into the room next door. **

**"There she is." She smiled, pointing to the small child lying on the floor, playing with her teddy bears. Matt's face lit up; he was already utterly mesmerised by her. He knew just by looking at her, that she was his; she was a perfect mixture of both Rachel and him. She had his brown hair and blue eyes, and Rachel's wavy hair and short stature.**

**A small lump formed in Matt's throat. "God, she's beautiful."**

**"She knows all about you." The officer explained.**

**"Really?"**

**"Yeah. I believe her Mom prepared her for this. She's been clutching your photo all afternoon."**

**"I can't wait to meet her." Matt said, unable to take his eyes off of his daughter, smiling when she ran to the mirror and pulled silly faces, unaware that anyone could see her.**

**An hour or so later, there was a soft knock on the door.**

**"Come in." Chief Superintendent Woodward called out.**

**"I have the DNA results for you."**

**"Thank you, Robert." She said, taking the sealed white envelope from him. "Are you ready?" She asked, once Robert had left the room.**

**"As ready as I'll ever be." He said, anxiously running a hand over his face.**

**He watched as she hastily tore open the envelope and pulled out the sheet of paper, which held the results on that could change his life forever.**

**"Matthew, the test has come back positive. You _are_ Molly's father." She informed him, as she took a seat across from him at the table. "How do you feel?"**

**"Shocked, excited, proud, confused, emotional… you name it, I feel it." He explained. "I just can't believe I have a daughter."**

**"Would you like to meet her?" Her voice softened as she stood up.**

**Matt stood up nervously, cracking his knuckles. "Yeah."**

**"Follow me." She said, as she made her way out of the door, and into the small room next door.**

**"Molly, sweetheart, look whose here to see you."**

**Molly looked up at Matt and smiled shyly, covering her face with her brown teddy bear.**

**"Hey, Molly." Matt said as he crouched down to her level. "It's nice to meet you." He held out his hand and smiled when she timidly placed her small hand in his and shook it lightly.**

**"The cat seems to have got her tongue." A female police officer that had been sitting with Molly teased. "She's been excited about seeing you all day, haven't you, Molly?"**

**Molly nodded her head and one again covered her face with her teddies.**

**"You have lots of cool teddy bears. Are they all yours?" Matt asked, as he sat down on the floor next to Molly.**

**Molly nodded her head eagerly.**

**"Can I see them?" He asked, hoping that would get a sound out of her.**

**Sticking her thumb firmly in her mouth she stood up and plonked herself down on Matt's lap, dragging her teddies behind her.**

**"Wow, isn't this one really pretty?" He said, picking up a brown bear with fairy wings and a tutu. "I bet your favourite colour is pink, huh?"**

**Molly giggled and nodded her head. "Mine too." He teased, causing Molly to laugh.**

**"Matthew, all you need to do is sign some of these papers, and you and Molly are free to go." Chief Superintendent Woodward explained.**

**"Okay." He said standing up with Molly in his arms. He smiled broadly, as he felt her wrap her arms and legs tightly around him. It was such an amazing feeling, a feeling that he'd never felt before, knowing that his daughter felt safe in his arms.**

**He took a seat at the table, with Molly still happily sitting in his lap as he signed the necessary paperwork.**

**"We're all done, Molly." He said, smiling at the sleepy child in his lap.**

**"I'll have some of the guys help take her stuff to your car." The officer said, smiling at Matt and Molly.**

**"Thanks for everything." Matt said, as he made his way out of the door to his car.**

**He carefully placed Molly into her car seat and strapped her in.**

**"Are you comfortable, sweetheart?" He asked, stroking her arm with his finger.**

**Molly nodded her head, and let out a little yawn.**

**"She'll probably fall asleep in a minute." Chief Superintendent Woodward smiled. "My children always fall asleep in the car. It's a good tip if you're ever struggling to get her to sleep."**

**"Thank you again." Matt said, as he climbed into his car.**

**He buckled his seatbelt and placed the key in the ignition. He quickly glanced at Molly, and smiled when he saw her eyes stubbornly refusing to close. "Go to sleep, sweetie." He told her, as he pulled out of the police parking lot.**

**A couple of minutes later, he looked over and saw that the officer was right, Molly was fast asleep, sucking her thumb and cuddling her favourite teddy, Booboo.**

**He stopped at a red light and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, calling the only person he knew who could help him.**

**"Hey, it's me."**

**TBC**

**Please Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you SO much for all your wonderful comments. I was blown away by how many people reviewed the first chapter. I promise you I am working on my other stories, but this chapter was begging to be written lol. As usual, please review.**

**Nice To Meet You: Chapter Two**

**Matt buckled his seatbelt and placed the key in the ignition. He quickly glanced at Molly, and smiled when he saw her eyes stubbornly refusing to close.**

**"Go to sleep, sweetie." He told her, as he pulled out of the police parking lot.**

**A couple of minutes later, he looked over and saw that the officer was right, Molly was fast asleep, sucking her thumb and cuddling her favourite teddy, Booboo.**

**He stopped at a red light and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, calling the only person he knew who could help him.**

**"Hey, it's me."**

**"Is everything okay?"**

**"Can you meet me outside in a minute?" Matt asked, as he turned right onto Sunset Boulevard, braking slightly as someone pulled out in front of him. He subconsciously threw his arm across a sleeping Molly, to stop her from falling forward in her seat. "Yeah, I'm fine, I just need to show you something..."**

**"Okay, I'll see you in a sec." **

**Matt pressed the red button on his cell phone, ending the call. He looked across at the sleeping figure next to him and smiled. He couldn't believe the gorgeous little girl belonged to him. **

**Danny made his way down to the parking lot, hastily signing several pieces of paper as he walked along, thrusting them into Billi's arms as she passed him. **

**"Can you get those off to Jordan to authorise as soon as possible?" He called, as he disappeared down the studio stairs, into the lobby area. "Hey, buddy." He said, slapping his palm into George's waiting hand as he ran past, escaping through the fire exit, which led to the parking lot. **

**"About fricken time." Matt laughed, as he watched Danny lean forward and catch his breath. **

**Danny struggled with the lid of his bottle of water, eventually managing to pry it open, and gulp it down. "Have we always had that many stairs?" He asked, as he suddenly jumped up and down on one foot.**

**"What the hell is wrong with you?"**

**Danny squeezed his eyes shut. "Ah, cramp" He moaned, hopping frantically towards the car, hoping to rest his body against the cool metal.**

**"Don't do that." Matt yelled, grabbing Danny's arm, just as his body started to relax, causing him to fall over. **

**Danny stood up and brushed himself off. "What did you want to show me, anyway?" **

**Matt quietly opened the car door, and motioned towards the sleeping child.**

**"A kid?"**

**"Yes…"**

**"Do they know you've taken her?" He asked, leaning in closely to get a better look.**

**Matt pulled Danny back, preventing him from waking Molly. "Yes, they know I've taken her. This is what they wanted to speak to me about down at the station."**

**"What?"**

**"Danny, she's mine."**

**Danny tried again to get a closer look at her. "Are you freaking kidding me?"**

**"Will you stop doing that? You'll wake her up." Matt warned, as he hooked his arm across Danny's waist to stop him from getting any closer. **

**"So, she's yours? For real?"**

**"Yeah. They did all the tests to prove it." He explained, looking longingly at his daughter.**

**"What are you going to tell Harriet?"**

**Matt ran his hand up and down his unshaven face. "I have absolutely no idea. She has no reason to be mad though… Right?"**

**"No."**

**"Thank God."**

**"Wait. I just meant she has no reason be mad; I didn't say that she wouldn't be."**

**"I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do." Matt repeated frustrated.**

**"Aw, look. She's waking up." Danny cooed, as he made funny faces at her through the window.**

**Matt crouched down by the side of the car. "Hey, sweetheart." He said, stroking Molly's arm with his finger. "Did you sleep well?"**

**He smiled when she nodded her head sleepily and let out a little yawn, causing her pacifier to fall out of her mouth. **

**"I think you dropped this." Matt teased, pretending to hand the pacifier to Danny, causing Molly to giggle. "Come on, let's go inside." He said, picking Molly up and popping the pacifier back in her mouth.**

**XxXxX**

**They rushed upstairs and into Matt's office, managing to avoid being seen by anybody. Matt placed a sleepy Molly down onto the couch, hoping she'd drift back off to sleep. **

**"Uh, Matt. Harriet's on her way in here." Danny informed him, as he peered through the wooden blinds that looked out on to the corridor. **

**"Shit." He muttered, walking towards the door.**

**"Where are you going?" Danny panicked, seeing that he was being left alone with Molly.**

**"I'm just going out there to talk to Harriet." Matt explained. "I think it would be better if I told her about Molly, before she saw her, don't you think?"**

**Danny sat down in Matt's chair, swinging his feet up onto his desk. "I guess."**

**"Okay, well keep an eye on her." He said, as he walked out and waited for Harriet in the hall. He could see her talking to Tom and Simon about 10 feet away. She smiled at him when their eyes met, and she signalled with her hand that she would only be a moment.**

**He was so nervous; he wasn't ready to face her yet. He could feel his palms starting to sweat and he had the sudden urge to pace. What was he meant to say to her? Was he supposed to feel guilty about having a child with someone other than her? And was it bad that he didn't?**

**As Harriet made her way over to Matt, she could see something was bothering him. He was biting his lip and shuffling his foot uneasily.**

**"Hey." She smiled, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. "Is everything okay?" She asked as she softly nibbled his neck.**

**"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Everything's good." He replied unconvincingly. **

**Hearing Danny's not-so-subtle cough in the background, Matt stuffed his hands deep in to his jean pockets, pacing for a moment, before sitting down, patting the chair next to him, gesturing for her to join him. **

**Harriet eyed him suspiciously. "What have you done?" She teased, stopping when she saw the somber look on his face. **

**"Okay." He started, taking a deep breath. "You know how I had to go to the police station earlier? Well, the thing is…"**

**"Matthew, what's going on?" Harriet asked nervously. "You're really scaring me."**

**Matt leaned forward, resting his head in his hands. "God, Harri. I'm _so_ sorry." He whispered.**

**"What for?"**

**Before Matt had a chance to answer, his office door swung open and a tearful Molly ran out, jumping straight into his lap.**

**"I'm sorry, I tried to stop her, but she runs _really_ fast." Danny apologised, sensing the awkwardness between the couple.**

**Matt stood up with Molly, her chubby arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "Shh, it's okay, sweetheart. I'm here. I didn't go anywhere." He soothed, rocking the sobbing youngster in his arms.**

**"Can you explain to me what the hell is going on?" Harriet asked, eerily calm.**

**Matt moved Molly onto his hip, and placed a finger under her chin, turning her head, so that she was looking at him. "Harri, this is my daughter, Molly. Molly, this is my friend, Harri." He said, still focusing all of his attention on the small child in his arms.**

**"If you'll excuse me." Harriet said, as she pushed past Matt, and ran down the winding staircase, that led onto the stage. **

**Matt watched Harriet's figure disappear into the distance. He was still cradling Molly, and could feel her relax in his arms, getting heavier as she drifted back to sleep. It sounds stupid but he was envious of the little girl in his arms. He envied her obliviousness to everything that was going on around her. **

**He walked back into his office, joining Danny on the couch.**

**"So, she took that well, huh?" Danny muttered.**

**XxXxX**

**"I just can't believe it." Harriet seethed, as she told Jeannie everything, downstairs in her dressing room. **

**Jeannie stood there, making them both a cup of coffee, listening to her friend vent her frustrations about "The Other Woman" in Matt's life. She felt slightly hypocritical as she tried to comfort Harriet, because she had also been "The Other Woman" in Matt's life at one point. Although Matt and Harriet weren't together when they hooked up, that was also the case with Matt and Rachel. **

**Jeannie sat down next to Harriet and handed her a steaming mug of black coffee. "I don't know what to say to you, Harri."**

**"I just hate him so much right now." She exclaimed, as she blew cool air on to her piping hot drink.**

**"I know, but you have to try and see it from his point of view as well, Harriet; he hasn't done anything wrong."**

**Harriet slammed her drink down onto the coffee table in front of her. "Of course _you'd_ be on his side. You also screwed my boyfriend. I bet you're just grateful that this isn't _you_ sitting here, and that this is happening to _me_."**

**Jeannie was taken aback by Harriet's sudden outburst; it was so out of character for the usual placid woman that she knew and loved. "Harriet…"**

**Harriet walked over to Jeannie, standing inches from her face. "I can see what's going on here, Jeannie. You love this, don't you? You're just waiting for Matt and me to break up, so you can jump back into bed with him." She argued.**

**"Harriet, you _know_ that isn't true." Jeannie tried explaining.**

**Harriet walked towards the door, but turned around quickly to face her. "You know, years ago, Jeannie, I would have believed you, but not now." She fumed. "You're just as bad as he is."**

**The door slammed and a perplexed Jeannie was left wondering what to make of the situation that had just taken place. It had escalated from nothing and out of nowhere. **

**XxXxX**

**"Are you okay? Jordan asked, walking into Danny's office, later that day.**

**"Yeah, why?" He asked, concern crinkling his face. **

**"Come to my office ASAP, as I have something really, really important that I need to discuss with you." Jordan read aloud a note from Danny, which had been placed on her desk. **

**"Ah yeah. Sit down, I have something exciting to tell you about Matt." He told her.**

**"You're worse than me." **

**"Do you not want to hear what I have to say?" He teased, leaning back in his chair, grabbing his desk suddenly, when his chair was about to tip over.**

**"Sorry, go on."**

**"So, you know how Matt had to go to the police station this morning to discuss Rachel White? Well, it turns out that they had a child together. Her name is Molly. She's with Matt in his office…"**

**Jordan's jaw dropped "No way!" **

**"I know. I was surprised as well. She's really cute though."**

**"That's great. It's not great that Rachel died, but that Molly is with Matt." Jordan explained.**

**Danny began furiously sharpening a stack of pencils on his desk. "Harriet is pissed."**

**Jordan suddenly became serious. "Don't tell Harriet that I said this was great news."**

**"Why not?" Danny asked, a confused expression on his face.**

**"Because, Harriet is my best friend." Jordan stated, as if this should have been obvious.**

**"And?"**

**"I'm obviously going to have to be on her side."**

**"That's ridiculous. Matt hasn't done anything wrong."**

**"I know, but…"**

**"So you agree with me?" He asked, trying to catch her out.**

**"Don't do that. Do you want to get me in to trouble with Harriet?" She asked, standing up and walking around the desk, massaging Danny's shoulders.**

**"Mmm, that feels nice." He sighed, relaxing in to her touch. He spun his chair round and pulled Jordan into his lap. "Hi." He smiled, leaning in for a kiss. **

**XxXxX**

**"How about a banana?" Matt asked, as he placed Molly on his desk in front of him, her little feet banging against his chest.**

**She shook her head dramatically from side to side.**

**"What about an apple? You have to eat something, sweetheart." He sighed, watching her shake her head again. **

**This was a totally new experience for him. He had no idea what a three year old liked to eat. Suddenly, he had an idea. He picked up the phone and dialed the only person who he thought might be able to help him.**

**"Hey, Mom, it's me." He said, smiling to himself when he felt Molly play with his hair. "I have a weird question for you. Remember how I was a fussy eater when I was little? What did you get me eating eventually? No reason… Okay, there is a reason, but I'll tell you later, Mom. I don't have time at the moment… Okay, so, anything else? Thanks, Mom; you're a life saver. I'll call you tonight, okay? Love you too, bye." He said, as he placed the receiver back down.**

**"How does a peanut butter and jelly sandwich sound?" He asked hopefully, letting out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding when she nodded her head enthusiastically. "Suzanne." He called, to his assistant in the next room.**

**"Hey, is everything okay?" She asked, walking into the room, smiling at the vision before her. She'd always thought Matt was cute, but seeing him interact with his young daughter seemed to make him even cuter.**

**"Are you able to get us two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on white, and two cartons of OJ, please?"**

**Molly tugged at his shirtsleeve and shook her head.**

**"You don't like OJ?" He smiled, watching her attempt to silently communicate with him. "How about apple juice? No… Water? No… Milk? Okay, so one carton of OJ for me, and one carton of milk for the little princess here." He teased. **

**He wondered how long it would be before she felt comfortable enough to speak to him. He knew she could talk; he'd heard her at the police station, talking the poor female officer's ears off, just before he'd gone in to see her. Maybe she was just shy, he thought. **

**As Suzanne left his office, Jordan entered, smiling broadly when she saw Matt and Molly, playing happily together.**

**"Hey." She said, taking a seat opposite Matt at his desk. "I came to say hello to this little one." She grinned, as she ruffled Molly's hair lightly, causing the youngster to giggle hysterically, throwing herself into Matt's chest to hide her face. **

**"She's a little shy." Matt explained.**

**A grin appeared on Jordan's face. "I can tell. So, Molly, how old are you?" Jordan already knew the answer to this, but she thought it might help Molly open up a little bit.**

**Molly turned around to face her, as she struggled to hold up three fingers, eventually giving in and using her free hand to hold down her pinky and thumb.**

**"Wow, you're only three?" Jordan gasped. "You look so grown up; I thought you were at least four and a half."**

**Molly giggled and shook her head, as she once again held up three tiny fingers to show her age.**

**"Hey, Molly. Why don't you show Jordan Booboo?" He suggested, pointing to the brown stuffed animal on the couch.**

**Molly hopped off of Matt's lap and grabbed her teddy bear to show Jordan. **

**"Are you okay?" Jordan mouthed, smiling happily when he nodded at her; his eyes remained focused on the little girl behind her.**

**Molly thrust Booboo onto Jordan's lap.**

**Jordan shook the teddy bear's hand. "Nice to meet you, Booboo." She said, lifting the bear up so that it covered her face. "Are you having fun with your Daddy, Molly?"**

**Molly nodded, before running back around the desk and climbing into Matt's lap.**

**"Here you go, guys. Two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, one milk, and one OJ." Suzanne said, as she walked into the office holding a tray of food, placing it on the desk in front of them.**

**"Thanks, Suzanne."**

**Jordan stood up from her chair. "Right, I'll leave you guys to enjoy your lunch. It was nice meeting you, Molly." She beamed, waving as she left the office. **

**Matt picked Molly up and placed her on the desk, so that she was facing him. "Here you go, sweetheart." He said, handing her a sandwich quarter. **

**They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, while they both ate their lunch. Molly looked over at Matt's sandwich wrapper and picked up some leftover crusts that he hadn't eaten. **

**"Do you want those?" He asked, watching her carefully study the pieces of bread in her hands. She shook her head and pushed them towards his mouth. "You want me to eat them?" He asked, as small bits of bread were stuffed into his mouth. "I take that as a yes then." He laughed, as he opened his mouth for more bread to be popped inside. **

**XxXxX **

**Once they'd finished eating lunch, he settled Molly on the floor with some toys and a colouring book. "Hey, Danny. Are you free to come and sit with Molly for a while? I really need to talk to Harriet." He asked into the phone. "Thanks, I'll see you in a minute."**

**XxXxX**

**Matt slowly made his way downstairs to speak to Harriet. He paused nervously outside her dressing room. He had no idea what he was going to say to her. Did she hate him? He didn't have much time to think about it, because all of a sudden, her door swung open and Simon was standing in front of him.**

**"Harri, Matt's here to see you." He sneered, staring at him, until Harriet said it was okay for him to come in. "I'll be in my room if you need me, okay?"**

**Harriet stood up, wrapping her oversized cardigan around her tightly. "Thanks, Sim."**

**Matt looked down as Simon passed him. He didn't know why he was feeling so guilty; in his eyes, he had not done anything wrong.**

**"Can I come in?" Matt asked, as he walked into her dressing room, not bothering to wait for an answer.**

**Harriet sighed. "It looks like I don't have a choice." She said, taking a seat on her couch and bringing her legs up to her chest while pulling her cardigan over her knees.**

**"Harriet, please don't be like this." He begged, running a hand through his hair.**

**"Like what? Upset that my boyfriend has a child with someone else?" She snapped.**

**Matt went to place his hand on Harriet's, but she shoved him away. "How do you think this makes me feel, Harriet? I thought you of all people would have stuck by me. Do you think this is easy for me?"**

**"I don't care how easy this is for you. The point is, Matthew, you have a child with another woman." Harriet shouted. "How do you think that makes _me_** feel?"

**Matt stood up and paced around the small room. "Woah, wait a minute, Harriet. You dumped _me_, remember? We weren't together for 11 months. Did you think I was just going to sit around on my own and watch you screw around with Luke?"**

**"This is so like you." She spat.**

**"What the hell are you talking about?" **

**"Bringing Luke into the conversation every time we have a fight."**

**"But you were with him while I was with Rachel. How is that any different?"**

**Harriet took a deep breath. "Because, Rachel and you have a child together; Luke and I don't."**

**"So, are you telling me that you never slept with Luke the whole time you two were together?" Matt asked her condescendingly. **

**There was a long pause. "You're a jackass, you know that?"**

**"And you're a hypocritical bitch." He shouted back.**

**"Get out!" She hissed.**

**"Oh, don't worry, I'm leaving." Matt said bitterly, slamming her dressing room door behind him.**

**XxXxX**

**Molly only had an overnight bag with her, so the following day, they would have to collect the rest of her belongings from the apartment she shared with her mom. **

**Later that evening, Matt helped Molly change into her favourite pink teddy bear pajamas. **

**Matt rummaged through her small crimson overnight bag, looking for the nightlight that he'd seen only minutes earlier. **

**"Are you tired, sweetheart?" He asked, seeing Molly rub her eyes sleepily.**

**She shook her head stubbornly, trying to stop the small yawn from escaping her mouth.**

**Matt looked at his daughter and smiled; he could already sense how similar they were. "Ah, here it is." **

**Matt breathed a sigh of relief, as he lifted the Tinkerbell shaped nightlight out of the bag and plugged it into the wall, flipping the switch on.**

**"Come on, climb under the covers." Matt said, as he lay down on the bed next to Molly. A huge smile spread across his face as he felt her snuggle up close to him. **

**"Are you comfortable?" He asked, opening the book that he was about to start. He wrapped his arm around her and began to read.**

**"In the great green room, there was a telephone, and a red balloon, and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon. And there were three little bears, sitting on chairs, and two little kittens, and a pair of mittens, and a little toy house, and a young mouse, and a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush…**

**And a quiet old lady who was whispering 'hush.' Goodnight room, goodnight moon…"**

**Matt continued to read the book, listing every item that the child said goodnight to.**

**"Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere." Matt finished, quietly closing the book. **

**He looked down, expecting to find a sleeping Molly in his arms. He was surprised to see her wide-awake, smiling up at him.**

**"Did you enjoy the book, sweetie?" He asked, brushing a small piece of hair out of Molly's face.**

**Molly looked out of the window at the end of her bed. "Goodnight, Mommy moon." She said, waving at the bright full moon outside.**

**Matt looked at his daughter, a little surprised to hear her voice, after an entire day of silence. "Mommy moon?" He asked. **

**"Yes. Mommy said she was going to heaven." Molly explained. "And heaven is on the moon." She told him innocently. **

**Matt gazed out of the window, his eyes fixated on the bright blue moon shining in the dark sky. "Oh, right." **

**Molly sat up and crawled over to the window. "Mommy said that when I wave to the moon at night, she'll be waving back at me." She told him.**

**"Yeah?" Matt walked over to the window, and picked Molly up in his arms. "Night night, Mommy." He said gently, as they both waved out of the window. "Come on, missy, it's time for you to go to sleep."**

**Matt laid Molly back in bed, and tucked her up, placing Booboo securely under her arm. "Sleep well, sweetheart. I'll be in my room next door if you need me, okay?"**

**Molly yawned. "Night night, Daddy." **

**Matt placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart." He said, as he pulled her bedroom door shut. **

**A huge smile spread across his face. He couldn't believe what an effect it had had on him, hearing her use that special word "Daddy."**

**TBC**

**Goodnight Moon was written by, Margaret Wise Brown.**


End file.
